TODAY marks exactly 32 years since the Zambia national football team perished in a tragic plane crash off the coast of Gabon, a heartbreaking moment that forever changed the nation’s football story.
The Chipolopolo team was en route to Dakar, Senegal, using a DHC-5 Buffalo transport aircraft of the Zambian Air Force, for a World Cup qualifier when their plane went down, claiming the lives of players, coaches, and officials.
In honor of the air crash victims, Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) president, Andrew Kamanga has urged the football community to draw inspiration from the fallen heroes of the 1993 Gabon air disaster, as the country commemorates 32 years since the tragic event that shook the nation.
In this week’s FAZ President’s corner publication, the FAZ boss reflected on the painful memory of the disaster, which claimed the lives of the entire senior national team off the coast of Gabon while they were pursuing a maiden FIFA World Cup qualification.
Kamanga described the fallen players as patriots who made the ultimate sacrifice for the nation, reminding Zambians that their unfinished dream should continue to inspire the football fraternity.
“Their memory is a constant reminder that we have a duty to fulfill the dream they died chasing. Until Chipolopolo qualifies for the FIFA World Cup, our debt to them remains unpaid,” he said.
While celebrating progress made, such as the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations victory and the junior teams’ appearances at the FIFA World Cup, the FAZ president stressed that the ultimate tribute to the Gabon heroes would be for the senior men’s team to finally reach the global stage.
“As we remember the Gabon heroes, we must never lose sight of the vision they carried. Their journey must continue through us, and it must lead to the World Cup,” he emphasised.
The 1993 disaster remains one of the darkest moments in Zambian history as it claimed the lives of players that united the nation through their dedication in the sport.
By George Musonda
